Mold



fr aries.

ALFRED MERLE, OF ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.

MOLD.

A i Application 'led. .Tune V12,

cially to molds for liquid-borne materials' from which the fluidk is separated to conf dense the material in the mold.

Objects of the iiiventionfinclude the pro vision of a mold embodyingv improved means for releasing it from the molded material. and for permitting the draining away of the liquid. g l

The invention possesses other objects and I features of advantage, some of which,with

the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the 'preferred form of my invention which is illustrated inthe drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to. the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figurev 1 is a perspective View of my mold, portions being broken away to disclose the structure. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through one end of the mold, in the` plane of the tie rods. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view in a plane indicated by line 3 3' of Fig. 2.

The mold of my invention is used in the formation of blocks from a fluid mixture of solids in a liquid vehicle, such for example as a water-borne mixture of asbestos fiber and magnesia. Provision is made for the liquid to drain away leaving the mold filled Y with the solids. Provision is also made foi' releasing the wet block of material from the mold.

In common practice a battery of molds open at opposite sides are placed together with apertured side plates between the molds. The fluid mixture is then pumped into the molds, the liquid draining away, until the molds are packed. They are then separated and rapped to loosen the wet blocks so that the blocks may be freed from the mold. This method frequently results in breaking the block and is so destructive' of the edges that an excessive amount of the Specification of Letters Patent.

J. MERLE, a'

Patented-Dec. 13, 1921.

1920.` serial No. 388,530,

block must be trimmed off to leave a whole rectangular block of the desiredl size. F urthermore such blocks are'not homogeneous, being softer in the center, because of the defective drainage4 from 'that portion. `Withy my mold, .the resulta-nt block is more nearly homogeneous, `because the liquidk from the mixture is permitted to escape from all sides of the block and the block is removable from the mold with no danger of breakage or iiijury, so that in truing up the block only a small amount needs to be trimmed off.

My moldcomprises 4bottom piece 2 land top piece 3 between which end pieces 4 Vare interposed. Two tie rods 6 spaced apart a suitable distance pass through top, bottom and end piece at each end ofthe mold. Nuts 7 on the lower ends of the rod and nuts 8 nearthe top of the rods provide means lfor permanently clamping the end pieces of the mold to the bottom piece.- These nuts are countersunk flushlwith the lower face` of ythe bottom piece and the upper end of the end pieces respectively. The .upper portion ofv the rods forms a loose -,lit in the top mold piece, and. their ends, 'which extend a short distancebeyondthe Aupper face of the'top piece are formed with edges 9 in which a roller 11 is eccentrically j ournaled by means of short studs 12. Fixed on each end of the top piece 3 and pierced by the rods 6 is a plate 13 formed vwith slideways 14 inclosing the roller, and permitting it to move therein on the plate in a direction transverse to the axisA of the roller, but without rising from contact with the plate. A handle 16for rotating the roller is fixed thereto, and normally contacts with the plate 13 on either side to fix the extremes of movement of the roller.

Thus, with rotation of the roller theslideways are moved longitudinally of the anchored tie rods, and the top pieceB fixed to the slideways is correspondingly moved away from or toward the rest of the mold. The parts are so proportioned and adjusted that when the handle at each endvis in the position shown in Fig. 3, the eccentrically mounted roller is just ast the deadl center and clamps the top piece upon the ends. When the handle is thrown over to the position indicated by the dotted lines, the roller the block therein, and holding it in the raised position.

lWith the opening of the two-part mold as just described the inclosed block of material is readily released without injury. After release of the block, return movement of the handles closes the mold and locks the parts together.

In order to provide for the rapid draining away of the fluid, the inner or mold faces of the pieces 2, 3 and 4: are provided with grooves 17 extending from end to end of the pieces. These grooves in the case of the top and bottom pieces open upon the ends of the mold and permit easy escape of the liquid. Furthermore a wire may readily be run through the grooves to free accumulations therein, without separating the various parts. As shown in Fig. l, the grooves in the end pieces are alined with those in the bottom and top pieces.

Overlying the grooves is a foraminated plate 18, and over the plate is a fabric covering 19. These may be held in place by any suitable means such as by wedging the edges thereof in slots 21 adjacent the edges of the pieces. A smooth molding surface is thus presented, through which the liquid from the mixture readily passes into the draining grooves.

I claim:

1. A mold comprising bottom and end pieces, a top piece on said end pieces, tie rods anchored in said'bottomnnd-end structure and passing through said top piece, and means interposed between the ends of said tierods and said top piece for lifting the top piece from and clamping it to the rest of the mold.

2. A mold comprising bottom and end pieces, a top piece on said end pieces, tie rods anchored in said bottom-and-end structure and passing through said top piece, a roller eccentrically journaled in said tie rods, slideways on said top piece in which said roller isconfined, and means for turning said roller.

3. A mold comprising bottom and end pieces, a top piece on said end piece, tie rods passing through said bottoni, end and top pieces, means on said rod for clamping permanently together the bottom and end pieces, and means interposed between the ends ofthe tieI rods and the top piece for lifting the top piece from and clamping it to the end pieces. 4. A mold clamp, comprising rods anchorable in one portion of the mold, a roller eccentrically journaled on said tie rods, slideways Xable on a second portion of the mold and in which said roller is confined, and a handle for turning` said roller to move said slideWays longitudinally of said rods.

5. A mold clampfcomprising rods anchorable in one portion of the mold, a plateV pierced by said rods fixable to a second portion of said mold, and means interposed between said rods and said plate for causing relative movement therebetween longitudinally of the rods.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ALFRED J. MERLE. 

